Chase Ranch
Cimarron, New Mexico
Cimarron is a Village (United States), village in Colfax County, New Mexico, Colfax County, New Mexico, United States, which sits on the eastern slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The population was 1,021 at the 2010 United States Census, 2 ...
was founded in 1867 by Manly and Theresa Chase. As pioneers, from Wisconsin by way of Colorado, they crossed the
Raton Pass in a
covered wagon and establish a new home in
New Mexico. Manly Chase purchased the land from
Lucien Maxwell
Lucien Bonaparte Maxwell (September 14, 1818 – July 25, 1875) was a mountain man, rancher, scout, and farmer who at one point owned more than . Along with Thomas Catron and Ted Turner, Maxwell was one of the largest private landowners in Uni ...
, part of the
Maxwell Land Grant. The ranch is near the Ponil Creek, a mile north of the
Cimarron River, not far from the
Santa Fe Trail
The Santa Fe Trail was a 19th-century route through central North America that connected Franklin, Missouri, with Santa Fe, New Mexico. Pioneered in 1821 by William Becknell, who departed from the Boonslick region along the Missouri River, th ...
.
The Ranch included the old
Kit Carson homestead. Before the arrival of pioneers, the land was populated by
Apaches and
Ute people. Manly provided the local
Native Americans with beef, creating peaceful coexistence.
Background
Manly Chase (b. 1842) started with a sheep ranch. By 1875, he started raising cattle with
Texas Longhorns and
Corriente cattle.
Hereford cattle
The Hereford is a British breed of beef cattle originally from Herefordshire in the West Midlands of England. It has spread to many countries – there are more than five million purebred Hereford cattle in over fifty nations worldwide. The bre ...
were introduced onto the ranch in 1883. Manly also planted an apple orchard that continues today. Manly and Theresa Chase raised six children in their 14-room ranch house.
The Chase Ranch is famous for its heart-shaped
brand and allegedly the
Marlboro Man's place of origin. Much is known about the Chase family as Manly Chase wrote more than 70 books of records, including several daily diaries that are now in the
New Mexico State University Library.
The Chase Ranch remained a family-owned ranch run by Chase descendants. This ended in August 2012, when Manly and Theresa's great-granddaughter Gretchen Sammis died.
After Gretchen’s death, ownership of the ranch changed to the Chase Ranch Foundation. Gretchen had created the foundation to preserve the 11,000-acre ranch and her family’s heritage. Gretchen Sammis owned and operated the ranch for 58 years. Long before her death in August 2012, she had drafted the Chase Ranch Foundation paperwork. She wanted the Chase Ranch to educate young people in ranching. She was secretary of the Cimarron School Board, a member of the
National Cowgirl Hall of Fame and 2007 New Mexico Cattleman of the year. She was appointed to the New Mexico Soil and Water Conservation Commission, the agriculture advisory committee to the state land office, and the New Mexico Resource Advisory Council.
On October 21, 2013, the Chase Ranch Foundation and the
Boy Scouts of America signed an agreement for
Philmont Scout Ranch to keep the ranch running and to preserve historic structures, manage a Chase museum, to create and run educational programs through living history presentations of New Mexico and American Southwest history, and to run a working cattle ranch with Gretchen's favorite breed, Herefords. Chase Ranch is adjacent to Philmont Scout Ranch. Beginning November 1, 2013, Philmont Scout Ranch began running the Chase Ranch. Philmont Scout Ranch gives tours of the main Chase house, Chase grounds, Chase orchards and Chase's tack room during the summer. BSA installed a gift shop, restrooms and picnic area at the Chase Ranch.
Chase Ranch is near
New Mexico State Road 204, in the 87714 zip code and 575 area code
See also
*
Cimarron Historic District
The Cimarron Historic District is a historic district on the south side of Cimarron, New Mexico, United States. The district is located south of US Route 64 on the east and west sides of New Mexico Highway 21. In 1973, the district was added ...
*
St. James Hotel (Cimarron, New Mexico)
The St. James Hotel, located in historic downtown Cimarron, New Mexico, is a historic hotel, restaurant and bar. It is known for its legendary status of being haunted by the spirits of men murdered there in the 19th century during northeastern ...
*
Villa Philmonte
The Villa Philmonte is a large ranch home located outside of Cimarron, New Mexico, on Philmont Scout Ranch, owned by the Boy Scouts of America. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995 as part of Villa Philmonte Historic ...
- Built in 1926 by oil magnate
Waite Phillips
Waite Phillips (January 19, 1883 – January 27, 1964) was an American petroleum businessman who created a fully integrated operation that combined petroleum producing, refining and marketing. With headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma, he also develo ...
References
External links
Cimarron Chamber of Commerce
{{Colfax County, New Mexico
Ranches in New Mexico
Colfax County, New Mexico
Philmont Scout Ranch